Adventures of Baron Wenceslas Wratislaw of Mitrowitz/Book 3

by Václav Vratislav z Mitrovic

 

BOOK III.

 

Of the Arrest and Imprisonment of our whole Embassy.

 

 

EANWHILE it happened that our steward, Ladislaw Mörthen, committed a capital crime, and was confined to his apartment on parole by my lord the ambassador. The Turks had fastened up the door of our house with bolts on the outside, and we also secured it inside, that they might not be able to come to us, if they wished. My lord gave the key of the gate to the clerk of the kitchen, and ordered him to let no one out of, or into, the house without his permission.

Meanwhile the steward, no watch being kept over him, took advantage of the clerk’s going out early in the morning to purchase necessaries, sneaked behind, unexpectedly pushed before him, sprang out into the street, and shouted at the top of his voice that he wished to become a Mussulman. The chiaous who was on guard by our house heard this exclamation with great joy, and immediately conducted the steward to a pasha, and laid before him the intentions of the godless villain. The pasha not only greatly commended it, but was delighted at obtaining so important a proselyte as the steward of the Christian embassy, and immediately gave him a handsome red Turkish dress, a turban, and a fine Turkish horse, and ordered him to be conducted to circumcision with great pomp.

When this wretch was led to circumcision many hundred horse and foot soldiers went before and behind him past our house, all shouting ferociously, and wishing him joy, while he exhibited a joyful countenance, looked in at the windows, and carried himself haughtily. After circumcision, pay, or wages, amounting to forty aspers a day, as they told us, was assigned to him, which is, certainly, high pay among them. This renegade, although he had at Prague a wife, a young court lady, Madame Von Bernstein, who was in office at court as mistress-of-the-robes, and a son, a handsome youth, yet forsook all, forgot his soul and wife, took immediately a Turkish woman to wife, and frequently walked and rode past our house.

One day this steward went to Synan Pasha and said: “As, when a Christian, I kept faith with my king, now, too, that I am a Mussulman, I wish to exhibit the same fidelity towards the Sultan and all the pashas, and will not spare anything, not even my neck, for the extension of their dominions. In order, therefore, that I may prove this fidelity to my Emperor, and the whole Turkish nation, I request that the mighty pasha do permit me, with some Turks, to examine the chancery of the ambassador of the Christian emperor, wherein I desire to find and lay before the pasha such things that every one will wonder in what way and how the Christian ambassador came by them; for even persons of high rank, and imperial officials, are not ashamed of acting contrary to their conscience, and revealing to him secret counsels, whereof, if the Viennese king knows, there is no doubt that he will, in good time, make preparations corresponding to those of the Turks, and will demand all possible aid from the empire.”

The pasha, having thought this over, commended him for such fidelity, and not only granted him power to examine the chancery of the Christian ambassador, but also assigned him some of the chief chiaouses, among whom were a Spaniard, and several Italian renegades, with orders that everything was to be carefully examined, and took care that no obstacle should be placed in the way of that rascal of a steward, to whom, at his perversion, the Turks had given the name of Ali Beg.

The day before this my lord the ambassador ordered the documents, which had been translated into cipher, to be brought him by the secretary, who was playing for ducats with the rest of my lord’s attendants of equestrian rank. On looking into them it appeared to him that something had been left out, and he therefore ordered the originals to be brought him out of the secret receptacles; but, finding that there was no error in any respect, he directed them to be immediately concealed in the same secret places. But the secretary liked play better, and, forgetting his duty and the oath which he had sworn to the Lord God and his Imperial Majesty, thrust them into the nearest cupboard as soon as he entered the chancery, and went out again to his game. Thus, as is manifest, no human counsel and vigilance can hinder the judgment and ordinance of God. The next day, very early in the morning, came this unhappy Ali Beg, with fifteen Turks of rank, to our house and knocked at the door. The clerk of the kitchen had previously had the key, but had then left it lying on a block in the kitchen. The cook, without asking anybody whether he was to open it or no, took the key in answer to the knocking, and opened the door to them. They then entered the house very quietly, and pushed unexpectedly into my lord’s room, at which my lord and we were all terrified. The principal chiaous immediately informed my lord, in Italian, that they had been sent with Ali Beg by the great Synan Pasha with orders that, whereas information had reached Synan that he was about to disclose all manner of plans of theirs, and to make known to his king what was passing at the court of their most mighty Emperor, he was, therefore, to allow his chancery to be opened, and not to hinder the said Ali Beg from examining everything, and that these, indeed, were the strict orders of the pasha.

My lord the ambassador, after hearing this speech out, ordered sweet beverages and sweetmeats to be brought, and requested them to sit down. He then replied to the order of the pasha to the following effect, saying how improper a thing it was that the chancery of the ambassador of the Roman emperor should be searched, and that on the bare calumny of such an untrustworthy rascal as his former steward. So, too, he immediately reproached him and set before his eyes how he had had the heart to forget his soul, his wife, and his children, and that he would surely not escape the vengeance of God. But the Turks who were present advised my lord not to reproach him, but to leave him alone, as he was no more his servant, but a Mussulman, and required that the chancery should be opened, and themselves allowed to fulfil the will of the pasha. My lord, not being able to do otherwise, sent to the secretary, and asked him secretly whether those things (meaning the original documents) of which he well knew were in security? He, as he sat at cards, bid my lord, in answer, not to be anxious, and also coming himself to my lord, gave him a token that all was secure; and, indeed, it pleased the Lord God for our sins to deprive him of all recollection.

When, therefore, the chiaouses required the chancery to be opened, my lord ordered his secretary so to do, entered with them himself, and continually reproached the knave, teasing him, and saying that he would find important secrets, and would thereby obtain great favour with the pasha, or with the Sultan, asking him, also, to impart some of them to him. He also scornfully advised him to be sure and search well, saying that he trusted the Lord God, and felt sure he would find nothing suspicious, and told him that he (my lord the ambassador) wished to bring him to such a point, that for such lying information, and for the insult which was inflicted upon an ambassador, he should be punished, and hoisted on a hook.

In answer to this the wretched renegade said nothing but, “Only let me look!” And my lord replied to him “Thou findest that thou drankest thy last cup in Silesia.”^[1] When the chancery was opened, he searched on, with great terror, till he trembled from head to foot, and found only some simple letters, which our comrades and acquaintances had written to us from Vienna. When the strong boxes were opened for him, he found in them a simple account of receipts and payments, and something else, which was not worth anything. And my lord ceased not to torment him, always telling him, scornfully, to look better, till he discovered the secrets, and brought the pasha the important things in return for which he would be presented with the gallows.

Then, when already about to leave the chancery, the villain espied a cupboard by the door, and ordered it to be opened for him. Then, first, the secretary recollected himself, and remembered that he had left all the most important things lying in it, and looked at my lord. My lord, imagining that those things were concealed in the proper place, and as it did not even occur to him that his secretary could have been so careless, insulted the traitor with a laugh, and the jeering exclamation, “Here they’ll be! here they’ll be found!” and, smiling, ordered the cupboard to be opened. But, as soon as Ali Beg put his hand into it, he lighted upon the original documents, about six sheets thick, and drew them out of the cupboard. My lord recognized them, and turned as white as a sheet, and being unable to support himself, leant against the wall. The unhappy steward looked at them, and cried out, “I will have this and nothing more!” and, going out of the chancery in quite a cheerful mood, boasted of his success before the Turks. Although many of us were present, we did not know what the wretch had taken, nor of what he was boasting, or, certainly, had we known it, we should have wrested it from him by force, and thrown it into the fire, for we were as numerous as they. But my lord immediately began negotiating with the chiaouses, and sent his cousin to the money-chest, and ordered him to bring out dollars and ducats in Hungarian hats, and distributed them among the chiaouses, begging them only to allow him to tear something out. This would certainly have been done for the money, but that villain, when the chief chiaous requested it from him, would let nothing go out of his hands, affirming that his fortune and life depended on it. Thus my lord distributed his money to the chiaouses in vain.

When the Turkish commissaries took their departure, my lord began to lament bitterly, reproached the secretary with tears, and asked him how he should answer for it to God and our Emperor, saying, “I care not for my own neck; I am quite content to die, if only it were not for you young people; for you will be obliged to become Mahometans to save your lives, and thus you will come to perish everlastingly owing to my heedless secretary’s gaming. For, when what that unhappy renegade took out of the cupboard is brought to Synan Pasha, it is impossible for you to escape a terrible death.” From that time forth he ate and drank nothing, did not sleep in bed, was continually praying with tears, and expecting every hour the time when we should be sent for.

After a short time that wretched renegade steward sent word to my lord that he would allow him to tear something out of the documents, if he would send him 1,000 broad dollars. My lord, in fact, sent him several hundred dollars; but he took the money, went with it to Synan Pasha, and boasted to him how well and honestly he meant by him, showing the money which my lord the ambassador had sent him, in order that he might permit him to erase or tear something out, saying that he would not do this for any presents, but that he had delivered to him (Synan Pasha) what he had found by search in the chancery, and humbly begging him to speak to the Emperor on his behalf, and obtain some favour for him.

The pasha without delay sent for German renegades, and had the documents translated into the Turkish language. Observing, however, that many of the chief officials, and the Sultana herself, were implicated, like an old fox, not wishing to fall into disfavour with the imperial ladies, for the Emperor’s mother and wife ruled everything, and did what they liked, he kept this to himself, made little noise about it, and only informed the Sultan that secret writings had been found in the chancery of the Viennese ambassador, whence thus much could be ascertained, viz. that the ambassador betrayed to the Viennese king everything that took place in the city. He, therefore, inquired of the Emperor what should be done further in the matter. The Sultan immediately placed my lord the ambassador, and all his people and servants, in the pasha’s hands, to do with them what he pleased. From this time forth they gave us no more food, save only bread and water, did not allow the clerk of the kitchen to go out to market for necessaries, and secured our house well with a guard, to prevent any one from going out of it. My lord the ambassador, expecting every hour great danger for himself and all of us, fell extremely ill with a quinsy, and did not leave his bed for some time. More than half of us were also ill, and there remained very few who enjoyed perfect health. Here our best medicine was good Greek wine, of which we had as many as sixty casks, with which many of us shortened the mournful time, and made themselves merry, while others, who were sick, wished for the happy hour [of death] to come. Thus, too, my lord the ambassador, and we who were sick, received the last holy unction from our priest, and commended ourselves to the Lord God.

When all things necessary for the campaign in Hungary were ready. Synan Pasha, on the 15th of August, after kissing the Sultan’s hand, and receiving the generalissimo’s flag and sabre, rode very magnificently out of the city past our house, accompanied by all the pashas and almost all the city. Before him rode his dervishlars and hodzalars, and also Mahomet’s friends in green vests. Next walked naked monks, holding each other by the hand, and turning round, crying out, Allah hu, till, through great exhaustion, they fell on the ground and were obliged to lie there; others wished him good fortune, at the top of their voices, and their priests, the poplaslars, went before him singing and bearing open books. Behind him rode about twenty-four iltzoglans, or sultan’s pages, on very handsome horses, all dressed in gold brocade; their stirrups, saddles, shields, and everything on their horses glittered with gold and precious stones, especially the lances and sabres set with jewels. It was, moreover, an extraordinarily beautiful, warm, and pleasant day, so that when the sun shone on those lads a great glitter was reflected from the gold and precious stones. Indeed, it was a wonderful sight, when, over and above that great pomp, a countless number of the inhabitants accompanied Synan to the place behind the city, where he had ordered his tents to be pitched and had his camp. For, whenever the Turks go from home, they do not go far on the first day, in order that, should they have forgotten anything, and it not be at hand, they may be the nearer, and therefore the more easily able to set matters to rights and fetch it.

We were all glad that our principal enemy had left the city, imagining that we should stay in the house shut up as it was, and that nothing worse would befall us; but hope deceived us. For on the third day Synan Pasha cunningly and falsely sent, in Ferhat Pasha’s name, some Turks of rank to my lord the am bassador, who lay very sick, bidding him immediately to take two or three servants only and come to him (Ferhat Pasha), to translate to him some Latin docu ments which had been found. My lord, being more dead than alive, begged them to make his excuses to the pasha, saying that it was impossible for him to ride on horseback at that time; but as soon as he was better he would gladly visit him. But they persisted in requiring him to get ready, and said that, if he did not do so voluntarily, they would compel him, as they had a carriage for him with them. My lord the ambassador, seeing that it could not be otherwise, put on a black velvet Hungarian suit, and, as the Turks told him he would come back in about an hour, seated himself in the carriage, which was lined withred cloth, (like those which have been used in cities from time immemorial, and into which you get by steps,) and bidding adieu to us, was taken from us by a pair of horses, not to Ferhat, but out of the city to Synan Pasha, only having five persons of his suite with him. On arriving at the camp the Turks immediately placed him, as being an invalid, in a tent, and his attendants in irons, securing them all with a guard of janissaries. We, however, who remained at the house had no knowledge whither my lord had gone.

After about two hours we saw people running from all quarters by thousands to our house, placing themselves in rows, and creeping on the roofs, and at last so many collected that we could not see to the end of them. Not knowing what this indicated, and what kind of spectacle was about to be exhibited, we imagined at first that some part of our house was on fire; till, after a short time, we saw the guard which was usually employed at executions making straight for our hotel. Behind this guard rode the sub-pasha, the judges, the head-executioners, heralds, and under-executioners, bearing fetters in their hands. The eyes of all the people were then directed upon us. When they arrived at the house, the sub-pasha and the other Turks dismounted; the janissaries opened our house with a noise and shout (a thing which we did not expect, but imagined that my lord would come to us again), and led and dragged all of us, wherever they could seize us, down the galleries and out of the house. They then threw an iron ring over the neck of each and passed a chain through it. Upon this each of us fled hither and thither wherever we could, as though we were mad. Though I had been some weeks ill of dysentery, and could not stand on my feet, nevertheless, seeing what was happening to my comrades, I did not remain in bed, but crept up as high as possible under the rafters, springing from one to the other in such a dangerous manner, that, if I had fallen. I should have been dashed into a hundred pieces. Finally, I crept quite unconsciously back to my bed; and when the Turks had already got all my companions fastened by chains, and had also laid their hands on and divided everything they could find the sub-pasha came to me, and one said to him: “This lad is young and sick, he must get well and become a Mussulman; let us leave him here till we return, and place him in Ferhat Pasha’s serail.”

On hearing this, for I had already learnt some Turkish, I got out of bed, and told them that I was willing to suffer evil and good with my comrades, and would not stay, begging them, for God’s sake, not to leave me there. Thus in my shirt, and without my trousers, taking only a long Hungarian mantle, I was led down to the place where my comrades were already fettered by the neck. On coming down I fell to the ground, and was unable to rise. Meanwhile, one of the executioners ran up and put an iron ring round my neck, intending also to pass a chain through it, but the chiaous bade him leave it as it was, saying that I could not walk for illness.

They then opened the door, and counted us out, one after the other, for they had a list of us all. Then an executioner took each by his iron ring, the sub-pasha mounted his horse, the guards began to close round us, and make a way through the people. As I could not stand upon my feet, they brought me a Turk, whom they call a hamola, or porter, who carries all manner of things from the sea about the city for hire, on whose pannier, which was stuffed with rushes, they perched me like a landrail, and I sat upon it like a dog on a bank. Meanwhile, a dwarfish Turk, with a reddish beard, called out at the top of his voice to the bystanders:—“Is it right that this true believer should carry that dog?” And, running up to me, he gave me a violent blow, so that I shot down from my steed I knew not how; also he contemptuously kicked me in the side, and would have beaten me still more, had not our former janissary, Mustapha, seen it, and taken compassion upon me. Not enduring this conduct, and looking upon me with sorrow,—for he wished me everything that was good, he flourished his staff, and dragging me from him, reviled him in Turkish, asking him why he struck a poor sick prisoner, and wanted to show his manhood on me? If he possessed so heroic a heart, let him take it against fresh and strong giaours in Hungary; he would find plenty of them to match themselves with him; it was easy (pointing at me) to beat and maltreat a dying giaour. And when the other answered him contumaciously, my friend the janissary cudgelled him with his staff over the head, till the blood streamed, upon which the Turk rushed at the janissary with a knife. In a moment about a hundred people ranged themselves on the side of the janissary, and as many more on the side of the other, and they were already beginning to take up stones and throw them at each other. Indeed, had not the guards, and the imperial judge, or sub-pasha, speedily turned and galloped to us, and ordered them to keep the peace under pain of death, a great riot would have taken place on my account, and we should all have had to suffer for it guiltless.

When this disturbance was quieted, Mustapha raised me from the ground, and gave me to two men to lead; but, as I could not walk for exhaustion, I tottered on a long way behind the rest. Meanwhile, we met a number of muleteers, taking wood, fastened on their mules with ropes, to the court. A chiaous cut the ropes, and ordered me to be placed on a mule. One executioner held me by one foot, another by the other, that I might not fall off. My comrades they led in a row by three chains, and I rode honourably after them, only in my shirt, and that very comfortably, on my prickly wooden saddle. They led us, for greater disgrace and ridicule, through the most populous squares and streets, and it was very hot weather, so that we could have died for excessive thirst. Some pitied us, others gnashed their teeth at us, and said the best place we could go to was the gallows. When they had led us up and down the city to their satisfaction, they conducted us straight to the sand-gate, where the fish-market is held. On both sides of us, in front and behind, walked a countless multitude of people, for never before had so many persons been seen led to execution at once.

The press of people crowding out through the gate hindered our conductors, so that they were obliged to stop with us in front of the gate. For my own part, sick and tormented by great exhaustion, thirst, and heat, as I was, and, moreover, with my skin torn off by the saddle till I bled, I could not recollect where we were. Looking round I saw John von Winorz, the priest, and asked him where we were. He answered that we were not far from the gallows, and, therefore, had better resign ourselves to the will of God, and commit our souls to Him. Meanwhile, we kept advancing further, the janissaries making a road for us by the use of their sticks. When I saw the hooks on the gallows, and two executioners upon it holding the pullies, I immediately lost my self-command, swooned, and became entirely unconscious. Nor did we expect aught else than that they would hang us all up, since that was exactly the course of proceeding which they observed with others at their execution.

My comrades related to me afterwards (for, as aforesaid, I had lost the power of thought and recollection, as well as sensation) that, when they brought us under the gallows, two more executioners climbed up, and meanwhile a judge addressed us to the following effect, telling us that we saw a terrible death before our eyes, and, therefore, for the great compassion which he felt for us, promised, by the head of the Sultan, his lord, that our lives should be granted us if we would but turn Mahometans. But, by the grace of God, none of us did this, but we were all ready to lose our lives in preference; although, on the other hand, we were so overwhelmed by fear of death that none of us knew whether he was alive or dead.

After remaining still about a quarter of an hour, the sub-pasha gave orders to conduct us to the sea, which was close at hand. The vulgar, therefore, as they had not hung us on the hooks, had no other expectation but that they would drown us in the sea. Every living soul, therefore, ran down to the sea, and took their seats in boats and barges, for greater convenience in looking on. When they brought us to the shore, they thrust us almost head-over-heels into a boat, in which camels and mules, with all manner of mercantile burdens, are ferried over from Europe to Asia, cursing at us, meanwhile, vehemently, and pushing us in such a manner that the poor wretches pulled each other down by their chains. Coming to myself again, I thanked my God that it had pleased Him to release me from that terrible death, and being afraid lest they should drag me from the mule, and throw me, like my comrades, into the boat, I fortunately saw a Turk whom I knew, and called out to him, imploring him:—“My soul, for God’s sake I implore thee, help me!” He, although the rest looked angrily at him, and reviled him, gave no heed to them, but ran up rapidly, helped me down, and after saying to me sorrowfully, “God release thee,” departed.

Having thrust off from the shore, the chief judge and his attendants sailed with us in the boat, and we had no other idea but that they would drown us, or take us to that frightful black tower, on the Black Sea, for they turned with us in that direction. Then they stopped and asked us again whether we were willing to become Turks, saying that it was now our last hour, as they were about to drown us all by Synan Pasha’s orders; that we should, therefore, have compassion on our youth, and that they were willing to make imperial gentlemen-in-waiting, spahis, and janissaries of us, and give us fine clothes and horses. But we constantly prayed to God, and, committing ourselves to Him, persevered in saying that whatever pleased His gracious Goodness should be our fate, acknowledging that we had deserved all this misery by our sins. We had spectators round us in thousands, who wished to gaze upon our watery funerals, for the upper and under executioners were also with the judge in our boat.

As soon as they saw our steadfastness, and that not one of us would become a Turk, they threatened us, and angrily impressed upon us that they would put us into such a prison that, when there, we should wish to be dead rather than alive. After bullying us till they were satisfied, they brought us round at last to the imperial arsenal, or magazine, where there are many hundreds of various boats, and where stores of galleys, and other military requisites are kept in vaults. Having removed us from the boat, they conducted us into a large square building, which was surrounded by large walls several fathoms high. Here, at the first gate, sat the pasha’s Kihaja and the Quardian Pasha, or the chief commander of the guards. In this enclosure there is a third building for prisoners, into which the light comes only from above, and which has no windows at the sides. In the principal building there are captives of various nations, artizans who construct galleys, and divers other things; for instance, carpenters, joiners, smiths, ropemakers, sailclothmakers, locksmiths, and coopers, who are conducted every day into this or that workshop. These are the best off of all, for they have it in their power to filch things, sell them secretly, and buy something to eat; nay, when they work industriously, porridge is given them on Friday, (the Turkish Sunday,) and, above all, they have hopes of release before the rest. For, when they execute a handsome piece of work, whether it be a galley, a galleon, or any other boat, in a masterly and artistical style, and the pasha who commands by sea is pleased with it, he confers the following favours on the chief artizans. Taking from them a promise not to escape from Turkey for ten years, more or less, but to work faithfully till the expiration of that time, he releases them on parole, and, after that time, they can marry and settle there at their liking, or return to their own country. When, moreover, any one wishes to ransom himself, or earn his liberty, since no Turk promises for a Christian, he must produce as security ten or twenty other Christian captives, that is to say, should he during that time escape before he has earned his liberty, or should a captive who is ransoming himself not bring his price by a certain day, then these, his sureties, become liable, one to have an eye struck out, a second to have an ear, a third to have his nose, a fourth to have the thumbs of both his hands, and the toes of both his feet cut off, or the teeth on one side of his jaw knocked out, or to receive so many hundred blows on his belly, the calves of his legs, and the soles of his feet. Not till any given captive obtains such sureties (and it is seldom that any one makes such an engagement) is he released to go to Christendom, and if he is not to be found, and does not pay his ransom, his sureties have to suffer according to their bond.

In my time I saw a captive Hungarian in that prison who had become surety for a friend, who, on arriving in Christendom, like a knave as he was, forgot his benefactor and did not return. The poor surety had, therefore, for about two years, to bear two sets of fetters, his own and those of the person for whom he had made the engagement, to lose one ear, his four front teeth, both the thumbs on his hands, all the toes on his feet, and to be frightfully beaten with a stick every Friday. This continued until the late Palfi, of blessed memory, heard of it, and ordered the Hungarian, who had come from Turkey, to be beheaded, and his ransom transmitted to Turkey. But, sad to say, that most unfortunate man had already lost his health, and deplored, above all, with tears, the loss of his thumbs and toes, and complained that he should never be able to use a weapon to the day of his death. In other respects he was a tall and well-made person, and, if that knave had not deceived him, he intended to have ransomed himself, and taken vengeance on the Turks.

Such prisoners as are priests, scribes, scholars, citizens, or gentlemen, are in the greatest misery, because they have not learnt any handicraft, and no value is set upon them. The second prison is for common prisoners who know no handicraft. Of these there were then about 700 persons, of all the various nations that there are beneath the sky. These are taken, in the beginning of spring, on board the galleys as rowers. When they return from the voyage they must hew stone and marble, construct earthworks, carry materials for building, and, in a word, like day-labourers, if there is any contemptible work to be done anywhere, they must perform it. They receive from one year’s end to another nothing more for food than two loaves of bread per diem, and water to drink. The Turks strike and beat them like cattle for the least misconduct. Nay, not even at night do they enjoy repose, but must go to work if anybody wants them.

The third building is a hospital, in which the sick prisoners lie, and where the old men who are past work through age loiter about. These, besides bread, receive soup and porridge. This building is called Paul’s prison. As long as they are there they are made comfortable; when they get well, they must work to make up what has been neglected; if they die, they are given to the prisoners to be buried, or thrown into the sea. Having brought us to this place, the judges presented letters or orders from Ferhat Pasha to the Quardian Pasha, instructing him how we were to be dealt with. After this the executioners took the chains and rings off our necks, and two or three of them ran up, and tripped up the feet of each, so that he fell on the ground. Here we poor wretches expected that they would beat us with a stick, but, thank God, that did not take place; but gipsy smiths came, and putting an iron ring round the feet of one who lay on the ground, passed a chain through it, clinched it on an anvil, and then fastened a second, whom he selected, by the foot to the same chain. Seeing that this was all they did, each of us had himself coupled to the companion whom he liked best. As soon as two were coupled together, they were obliged to go immediately into the common prison. When all had been thus fettered except myself and the apothecary, a little man, who was then also ill, they fastened us together as we lay on the ground from exhaustion, though I besought them earnestly enough, saying that we were both ill, and could not walk, and though it was impossible for me to lift the chain. When they bade us go into the prison, I rose with difficulty from the ground, and immediately fell down again on my back, and was unable to rise. A Turk, wishing to compel us to get up, struck me with a stick over the back, bidding me get up, and so he did the apothecary several times; but the pasha, seeing our real weakness, ordered one Turk to carry the chain behind us, and two others to lead us to the prison, where I seated myself with my sick companion close to the gate, for I was unable to go further, and there had my den as long as we were in that prison.

There were then but few prisoners in the gaol, for they had gone as rowers on board the war-boats, but they were from time to time expected. These prisoners had left abundant filth behind them, as well as many pieces of rags and tattered garments, which we took and placed under our heads instead of pillows. In truth, no man who has not experienced it will believe what sort of lodging it was in that prison. For, not to speak of fleas, lice, and bugs, there was a kind of black insects, like large ants, and wherever they stung blood immediately spouted out, and the place swelled up, just as when the measles break out on children. We were all so stung that nowhere over our whole persons had we a sound spot where you could stick a pin, on the head and face just as little as on the rest of the body. To us voluptuous people, unaccustomed to such lodgings, it was excessively difficult to get used to this; for, though we stripped ourselves naked, it was no good, but those flies stung us still. After all, however, it was lucky for us that it was so, for the skin over the whole of our bodies was so bestung that we no longer felt the biting of lice or bugs, although it was impossible to get used to the stinging of those other insects. The steam, stench, and heat were so excessive that I might have lost my senses, and, above all, the dysentery attacked me so violently in that prison that I could not remain a quarter of an hour in the place where I was. And thus, tortured and utterly miserable being that I was, I wished for death, especially as my companion could not walk and carry the chain, and we were obliged to defile the place where we sat down, and to repose in the stench. That day they gave us two loaves of bread each, and a small can of water; but I dared not and could not eat or drink anything either that day or the next, but besought God that it might please Him to release me from my misery by death.

The next day the chief superintendent of the prisoners came into our prison himself with several guards, and, seeing me lying thus naked in this wretched condition, had compassion upon me. On seeing him standing by me, I quickly drew my Hungarian mantle over me, and covered myself above, having no other clothing, for none of my comrades had taken so little clothing from home as I. Thus covered with this mantle, I kissed the foot of the pasha of the guard, and besought him with tears to have compassion upon me, and, if it were possible, to release me from the chain, so long as I was ill. But he said, “Olmas, olmas, giaur!” " It cannot, it cannot be, pagan!” but if I wished to be fettered to some one who was healthier and stronger, he said he would permit it. Not knowing to whom else to have myself fettered, I looked at our chaplain, my countryman, and asked him to have me fettered to the papas, which is the name there given to the priests. The papas, who had a healthy companion, was anything but pleased, and looked sour at me, but was obliged, nevertheless, to allow himself to be fastened to me by the chain, and also to go with me and carry the chain, whenever my illness compelled me. At the beginning he was patient; once, twice, a third time, he held his peace: but when he was obliged to go with me very frequently, and with great annoyance to himself, he began to revile me, and to call me knave, and all kinds of foul and monstrous names, and said that he would not go with me. I, in return, exhorted him to patience, and reminded him that, as a clergyman, he ought to be an example to the rest, and said that I was not in fault for my illness; but since the Lord God had laid it upon me, sorrowful afflicted being that I was, I did not know what to do or say, and had rather either get well quickly or die. As, however, I did not cease urging him to go with me, he frequently kicked me so that I fell head-over-heels, and would not go with me after all. Once, when he was obliged to go with me and carry the chain, he threw it into all kinds of filth, wept, lamented, and complained that he should lose his health through me; but he was obliged afterwards to carry it back, filthy as it was, to our cattle-like lair, and I cleaned it again with water.^[2]

My illness lasted several weeks, and, if it had lasted longer, I certainly should have deprived the poor chaplain of his life, for he was now so emaciated and wretched that he was bent double; for they gave us nothing but bread for food, and not enough of that to satisfy us, and with me he had no peace or repose either day or night. When at length, with a broken heart, and with tears, I implored God that it might please Him to have compassion on my great and intolerable misery, and either to restore me to health, or remove me from this world, whichever was His holy will, and my comrades, also, seeing me half dead, prayed earnestly for me to God, the good God listened to me, so that my illness ceased, and I began to eat something. I crumbled a small loaf of bread into water, made porridge of it by boiling, and eat it.

As time went on I began to be much better in health, and when I imagined that it was all over, my dear companion, Mr. Chaplain, fell sick of a similar disease, while I, feeling no lice or insects any more, was sleeping and resting as pleasantly on the bare ground, after my illness, as on the best made bed, so that I had no need to use any provocatives to sleep. In this pleasant slumber the chaplain woke me, and urged me to go with him and help to carry the chain. And I went once, ten times, twenty times; but at last I got so sick of going with him that I meted out an equal measure to him, and called him a confounded silly parson, alleging that I had not tormented him before with going so much as he tormented me now; till at last we should both have been unable to bear it any longer, but must have paid for it with our lives.

The previous prisoners at length returned from rowing on board the vessels of war, and came into the gaol amongst us. Learning that we had a priest amongst us, they treated him very reverentially. Seeing him tormented by illness, all the artizans gave in a written petition to the pasha in command of the guard, and besought that the priest might be released from chains, till he recovered, engaging, on his behalf, that he should not escape. The pasha listened to their request, and ordered him to be released, and had me fettered by both feet to the chain, which I carried twice as willingly by myself as with a partner. When, by the grace of God, I got well again, without any kind of medicine, and my stomach recovered its tone, two small loaves of bread per diem did not suffice me. So I learned from the other prisoners to knit stockings, gloves, and Turkish hats, and it pleased the Lord God to bless me so in this handicraft that I often earned money, with which I bought meal, porridge, oil, vinegar, olives, salad, and bread. Meanwhile, my former partner, Mr. Chaplain, also recovered, and obtained me for a companion again, and we were fettered together as before. As he could not weave or knit, he lived with me upon what I earned, until all the prisoners went again before the superintendent of the guard, and humbly besought him to allow them on certain days, which were hallowed among Christians, to perform Divine Service before daylight, and before they went to their work. They offered to give him a present for this permission, which was, accordingly, granted them.

Many years ago there had been an altar in the common prison, consecrated by a regular bishop, and fenced round with rails; and the prisoners possessed, also, silver cup and the other requisites for the celebration of holy mass. On every great and apostolical festival our chaplain, who was temporarily released from his chains, celebrated holy mass, while I, with the chain, acted as acolyte, sang the epistle, and gave the prisoners the crucifix to kiss. They contributed alms according to their poverty, so that we always had a kreutzer or so by us for food, and were easily able to support ourselves. After mass the Turkish gipsies fettered the chaplain to me again by the chain.

Once, on a festival after holy mass, a master-carpenter, a Christian prisoner, invited the chaplain and me to partake of a fine tabby tom-cat, which he had fed up for a long time, and named Marko. It was a fine and well-fatted cat, and I saw, with my own eyes, when the carpenter cut his throat. As my partner, Mr. Chaplain, would not go, and fettered together as we were I could not go without him, he sent us, as a present, a foreshoulder of the cat, which I ate. It was nice meat, and I enjoyed it very much, for hunger is a capital cook, so that nothing makes one disgusted; and if I had only had plenty of such tom-cats, they would have done me no harm.

At this time, Krygala Pasha sent orders that some of the old prisoners should be sent from our prison to his serail or the palace of his wives, where they were to clear out and clean up a building that had fallen into decay. The Turks, especially the more powerful ones, have more than one wife; but, although no Turk is allowed to enter their abode, much less to talk with them, yet in the presence of miserable captives they are not concealed, but their wives are permitted to sport and play tricks with them, and ridicule them as much as they please, it being supposed that they can have no love-passages with such sunburnt and emaciated Christians.

Amongst these prisoners, a German, Matthew Saller, was sent to clean up in the palace. When he had been there scarcely a fortnight he made acquaintance with the pasha’s wives, and having seen all their wardrobes, broke open a cupboard in the night, stole out of it two goblets, and three female girdles, each valued at 10,000 ducats, and brought them secretly, without any one’s knowledge, and with immense joy, into the prison, thinking that he should therewith be able to ransom himself from prison. When he had cut these girdles to pieces without being seen, and had taken off the diamonds, rubies, emeralds, turquoises, and other ornaments, he buried all in a can in the ground where he lay. But fortune did not grant him his wish. For one of the prisoners who had noticed him digging, after his departure stole the things again—one thief robbing another —and thus he afterwards sought for the second thief with tears, and confided to us what he had lost. Having, however, still a small silver goblet, he sold it to a Turk on his way to work, and thereby betrayed himself; for, some days afterwards, the goblet was recognized, and the question asked from whom it had come. When the merchant confessed that he had bought it from a prisoner, and also gave that prisoner’s name, Krygala Pasha’s kihaja, or major-domo, came with a good many Turks, and ordered poor Matthew to be called out. He, firmly believing that he would be hung without mercy, resolved to die heroically, and leave his fame behind him. When about to quit the prison, he took with him secretly a long knife, and when he came before the kihaja, on being asked where he had put those stolen girdles, confessed all truly, how he certainly had stolen them himself, and buried them in the ground, but that he had been robbed again by another. The kihaja, therefore, commanded him to be seized, on hearing which he unexpectedly rushed on him with the knife, intending to stab him, but was prevented by the superior numbers of the Turks. The kihaja began to call to the Turks to seize him, while he, springing on his feet, and seeing that he could not escape, defended himself valiantly with the knife, and wounded several of the Turks, till, finally, he was so overwhelmed with stones that he could not help falling to the ground. The Turks then seized him, and dragged him struggling to the major-domo, who ordered the poor wretch to receive 1,000 blows with a stick, so that he swelled up all over like a frog, or a bladder. The prisoners then took him, half buried him in a dunghill, and let him lie till the third day, when he gradually came to, like a fly, so that he did not die, but was always pale as a sheet, and had a swollen belly. Incredible, but true, that a man could suffer so much.^[3]

At this time news arrived that our friends had obtained a glorious victory over the Turks in Hungary, and cut to pieces many thousands of them. On hearing this we were again in great terror, for the Turks looked sour at us, gnashed their teeth, and threatened to have us hung on the hooks. Then came the imperial kihaja, had us all called out, and said that they would cut off our noses and ears, because our friends, brothers, and cousins had slain so many Mussulmans. We excused ourselves as well as we could, saying that it was not our fault. On his departure others came, informing us in confidence, and assuring us with great oaths, that they were really going to cut off our noses and ears. Upon this, sorrowful and afflicted as we were, and not knowing what to do for terror, we heartily bewailed our noses and ears, and bound ourselves together by an oath that, if they did this, and the Lord God permitted us to return to Christendom, we would wage war against the Turks to the day of our death, and whomsoever we captured we would cut off their noses and ears, and would induce others also to do the same.

The pasha of the guard then came to our prison, bringing with him two barbers, or hair-cutters, had us all summoned out, and ordered us all to sit down on the ground. We all wept, and entertained no other idea but that it would be done, as we had been told, and, therefore, no one was willing to be the first to sit down, until the scourge compelled us so to do. Anybody can imagine how we, at this time, felt about the region of the heart. We were all as pale as a sheet, and the barbers, stepping up and seeing us so frightened, laughed heartily, and all our stomachs began to ache. When we had seated ourselves on the ground, instead of cutting off our noses and ears, they shaved our heads and beards with a razor, for some of us had their hair and beard grown to a considerable length, and, after laughing at us to their heart’s content, bade us go back to prison. When our terror passed away, and we looked at and saw each other all clipped round and beardless, like so many calves’ heads, we could not help laughing, because we could scarcely recognize one another. Neither did we bear them any malice for the state of baldness to which they had reduced us, and they were satisfied with having frightened us abundantly about nothing. Afterwards more trustworthy Turks informed us that the grand vizier had really ordered our noses and ears to be cut off, and ourselves to be sent, thus shamefully handled, to Christendom; but the mufti, their chief bishop, on learning it, had opposed it, and would not allow that maltreatment to be inflicted upon us, as we had not waged war against them, but had only been attached to an embassy, and were in no wise in fault; at any rate, he said, it would have been a sin to maltreat us thus. The grand vizier, not being able to revenge himself upon us in any other way, had our heads and beards shaved with a razor, and the next day all of us chained to the oars amongst the other prisoners on board the galleys.

We were conducted on board the galley, or large warboat, under the care of a vigilant guard, and Achmet, the reis, or captain, who commanded on board the vessel, a Christian born in Italy, but who had now become a Turk, immediately received us and ordered us all to be chained to oars. The vessel was tolerably large, and in it five prisoners sat on a bench, pulling together at a single oar. It is incredible how great the misery of rowing in the galleys is; no work in the world can be harder: for they chain each prisoner by one foot under his seat, leaving him so far free to move that he can get on the bench and pull the oar. When they are rowing, it is impossible, on account of the great heat, to pull otherwise than naked, without any upper clothing, and with nothing on the whole body but a pair of linen trousers. When such a boat sails through the Dardanelles, out of the narrow into the broad sea, iron bracelets, or rings, are immediately passed over the hands of each captive, that they may not be able to resist and defend themselves against the Turks. And thus fettered hand and foot the captive must row day and night, unless there is a gale, till the skin on the body is scorched like that of a singed hog, and cracks from the heat. The sweat flows into the eyes and steeps the whole body, whence arises excessive agony, especially to silken hands unaccustomed to work, on which blisters are formed from the oars, and yet give way with the oar one must; for when the superintendent of the boat sees anyone taking breath, and resting, he immediately beats him, naked as he is, either with the usual galley-slave scourge, or with a wet rope dipped in the sea, till he makes abundance of bloody weals over his whole body. Under all this you must be silent, and neither look at him nor cry out “Oh!” or you have immediately twice as many blows, and these cutting words in addition:—“Pregidy anaseny, sigligum, irlasem?” “Ha, dog, why dost thou murmur, contradict, and get angry?”

Thus, too, it happened to one of our company, an Austrian knight, a grey-haired man, who, when a Turk struck him with the usual scourge over the naked shoulders, cried out twice or thrice,—“Oh! for God’s sake, do not beat me!” The Turk, not understanding the language in which he spoke, imagined that he was reviling him, and therefore beat the poor wretch violently, so that he was obliged to learn patience with the rest. No man can narrate that exceeding misery, or believe that the human body, tortured with all manner of suffering, can bear and endure so much. In the first place, a man is not only baked, but even roasted, all day long by the excessive heat; secondly, he must pull at the oar till his bones and all his veins crack; and thirdly, every moment he must expect the usual scourge, or the dipped rope; and frequently some jackanapes of a rascally Turkish boy amuses himself with beating the captives from bench to bench one after the other, and laughing at them. All this you must not only bear patiently from the snivelling rascal, and hold your tongue, but, if you can bring yourself to it, you must kiss his hand, or foot, and beg the dirty boy not to be angry with you. For food nothing is given but two small cakes of biscuit.

When they sail to some island where Christians live, you can sometimes beg, or, if you have money, buy yourself a little wine, and sometimes a little porridge, or soup. So too, when we rested one, two, three, or more days by the shore, we knitted gloves and stockings of cotton, sold them, and sometimes bought ourselves additional food, which we cooked ourselves in the vessel. Although the benches in this vessel were somewhat small, five of us sat fettered on each. We had also abundance of lice and bugs; but our skins and bodies were already so covered with bites, and scorched by the heat of the sun, that we felt little of this discomfort. Each of us certainly had two blue shirts and a reddish blouse—there were no other upper clothesbut we only dressed ourselves in them at night. Indeed, we had a most miserable, sorrowful life, and worse than death, in that vessel.

Sometimes a draught of wine, which grows on the island Alla Marmora, where they hew marble, and is very good, cheered and strengthened us amidst this torture. We likewise enjoyed the good Wallachian cheese, which they brought from Wallachia and Moldavia to Constantinople and sold. The Wallachians make it in the following manner. They take a fresh skin from a newly-killed goat, make a bag out of it with the needle, turn the smooth side out and the hairy side in, fill it with milk tillit looks like a bagpipe-bag, sew it up, leave the milk in it till it turns sour and mixes thoroughly with the hair, and then take it for sale. Six of us who were in partnership, having sold the gloves and stockings which we had made, bought a tolerably large piece of this cheese mixed with hair, which certainly came to us very acceptably, and tasted to us then better than macaroons; for we made soup of it, crumbled our mouldy biscuit into it, and eat it with remarkable appetite, paying no attention to and feeling no disgust at the circumstance that there were hairs in it. Ah! how many times, and indeed times out of number, did I remember, how in Bohemia they make soup of fine and good cheese even for useless greedy dogs, crumble fine bread into it, and give it them to eat; whereas, I, poor wretch, must thankfully receive such miserable hairy cheese and mouldy biscuit, and suffer hunger! Often did I wish, that, in point of food, I might be a companion to those dogs!^[4] But for our sins it pleased the Lord God worthily and righteously to bring all this upon us; for previously, while we were living in freedom, and enjoying all manner of pleasures at Constantinople, we would not believe the statements of other captives that their life was so miserable and afflicted, until we were obliged to experience and digest it ourselves. And, in sooth, whilst a man is living in pleasure he will not believe how the poor and needy feels about the heart, and he has no compassion on him, until he experiences similar misery himself. Oh, were such a one fettered for only a fortnight to the oars!

There were also amongst our comrades several effeminate Austrians, who had never eaten any cheese from the day of their birth, and who, whilst in freedom, if anybody smeared their knife or bread with cheese, made a terrible fuss, and could not help bringing up everything they had eaten or drunk. When these unfortunate Austrians came on board the vessel, and saw us buying the hairy Wallachian cheeses, at first they boldly declared that they would rather die of hunger than eat anything so nasty; but very soon their taste altered. For having nothing but the mouldy biscuit, and never a sufficiency of that, and seeing us willingly and with a good appetite eating soup made of the cheese, while they could scarcely see out of their eyes for hunger, they begged us to let them taste our food. After this they would have been heartily glad to breakfast, not only on the soup, but even on the hairy bag that contained the cheese, if it had only been possible to procure it always. Thus the stomach, especially when hungry, is a very good cook; it digests everything, gets used to everything, however disagreeable it appears at first sight, and rejects nothing when it wants food. Indeed, necessity is a master that teaches a man everything.

Once, too, a Turk brought a bag-full of boiled sheep’s heads for sale, and we bought the heads from him and thanked him besides. When he was about to leave the vessel, our superintendent met him, and asked him who gave him leave to enter it and sell sheep’s heads to the captives without his permission? The Turk made an angry answer to the superintendent, and received in return a blow from his fist. Retiring back again into the vessel he was seized by him, but struggled out of his hands, and ran through us and escaped, to our misfortune. The superintendent was so violently enraged at us for not seizing him that he immediately ordered six blows with the usual scourge to be given to each of us over the bare back, beginning at the first bench and ending at the last; and thus, on account of this godless villain, over three hundred poor Christian captives had to suffer. If the Turk had come to us in the boat a second time we should have felt such tender compassion for him that not a single piece of him would have remained. Being tender, I felt the effects of this beating for a tolerably long time, and so did some of the rest. Bloody weals sprang up in different parts of the body, and as it was the very hottest weather, and we were obliged to leave the island and pull at the oars, the skin burst, the perspiration aggravated the pain, it itched, it nipped, enough to drive one mad; but it pleased a kind God again to grant that I obtained favour in the eyes of a Turk, who gave me a piece of salve to put over it. Nevertheless, as I could not be free from pain, and it could not be helped, I comforted myself, at any rate, with the fact that I had three hundred partners in my pains, according to the proverb:—

“A pleasure ’tis, when woes must be,
A partner in your woes to see.”

At this time there were sixteen important prisoners in the Black Tower, four Hungarians, two Greeks, one German, and the rest Italians. The Greeks were notorious pirates, or sea-robbers, who had done great damage to the Turkish merchants. And some of these prisoners had been fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen years in the tower, without having any hope of getting out of it. The two Greeks, who were famous heroes and majestic men, had been captured by the Turks for the third time. As they had forced their way out of prison twice, they were placed, the third time, in the Black Tower, as an eternal prison, and had already been there three years; but, being very cunning, were day and night scheming how to escape for the third time. But as no one was allowed to go to them, and they were very well watched by the guards, one of them fell ill, and having some money, sent it as a present to the governor of the Black Tower, begging him, for God’s sake, to allow a draught of wine or spirits, to be brought by a Christian. Permission being given for this, though with great difficulty, a Greek Christian brought a small bottle of spirits into the prison for him, and this cunning fellow immediately persuaded him to promise to deliver a small note, which he wrote secretly, to a friend of his not far from the island, and, in fact, he did deliver it. A few weeks afterwards, just as the two Greek prisoners wished, some unknown Greek peasants brought a good sheep, some honey, rice, oil, olives, melons, and all kinds of fruit to the governor to take what he liked of it himself, and distribute the rest among the prisoners. These peasants also brought a small cask of wine, and requested that it might be given to the sick as strengthening medicine, declaring that they gave it as alms on account of their sins. The governor was delighted at these presents, took the sheep and what he liked, and sent the prisoners the rest, though in tolerably small amount, as well as the cask of wine, because the Turks do not drink it. In this cask was a false bottom, under which was concealed a letter from the friends of the two Greeks, who asked to know what else they were to send them into the prison. The Greeks, without telling any of the prisoners what was going to be done further, gave written instructions to their friends. Some weeks afterwards other Greeks came, and made a much larger present to the governor, and also sent two casks of spirits for the prisoners. The Turks were much pleased with these presents, for they had not the slightest idea that they were only given as a blind, and therefore they encouraged the Greeks to bring alms for the poor prisoners still more frequently. In both these casks were false bottoms, under which small hand-saws, files, silken cords, and all manner of instruments were stuffed; and thus for more than a year the Greeks continued to come with their alms. At last they paid a sum of money that the Turks might allow them to give all the prisoners linen for shirts. The two prisoners managed so circumspectly with their correspondence, that not only the Turkish guards, but even their fellow-prisoners found nothing out, for these Greeks were very cunning people. Thus, there was no one who had the least inkling that anybody was about to make his way and escape out of the tower. When the Greeks had everything requisite ready to their hands, last of all two more casks with schnapps were brought to them, and then first it was that these two Greeks disclosed their views to the other prisoners, informing them that, with God’s aid, they would help both the rest and themselves out of the prison. But before they put their project into execution they were all obliged to kneel down, place two fingers upon the Gospel, and swear to keep the secret, and not to betray each other should their design be found out. And then for the first time the prisoners were cheerful, and began to make the guards tipsy with the schnapps, for the Turks are very fond of schnapps, which the Greeks make of excellent quality from figs and raisins.

One evening, when the guards were intoxicated, the two Greeks sawed in twain the rivets by which their own fetters and those of all the other prisoners were fastened, and soldered them together again with lead, in order that, if anybody should chance to look over them, he might find the fetters entire, and they might afterwards saw them through more easily in lead than iron, when need required. Every prisoner was also obliged to give the two Greeks his shirts, out of which they made a rope plaited throughout with the silken cord. On one occasion, then, they bade the rest of the prisoners to drink schnapps purposely with the Turkish guards, to sing, and to shout; meanwhile, messieurs the Greeks, during this shouting, cut through with the small saws the floors of the first second, and third stories above them, so that a man could creep through, and through the third opening climbed to the window of the tower, whence they that night measured the height of the tower, and made the rope long enough to reach to the ground. They had, moreover, a certain understanding with their friends, in consequence of which a swift boat, with a lantern burning all night long, was stationed by the sea-shore, and waited for them. The light burned all night in the lantern, in order that these Greeks might see whither to direct themselves when they got out of prison.

The next night—for the will of God was surely therein manifest—being the day of St. John the Baptist, they made their guards tipsy again, and during their first slumber gave the files to their fellow-prisoners. All, except a German named Hernstein, who only filed through the fetter on one of his feet, cut through the rivets in their fetters, and crept one after the other in the dark to the openings through the floors. Here the two Greeks, being experienced in these matters, and knowing how dear a thing freedom is, were afraid of their hurrying one over the other down the rope, and that somebody would fall down and betray the rest. They, therefore, made a list of all the rest, and, constructing a kind of chair of rugs and twisted rope, let them down in it by ages, the oldest first, and slid down last themselves, without the chair, like monkeys. Being now all together, they first fell on their knees and thanked the Lord God, and, as soon as they had all climbed out of the entrenchments, the Greeks took with them a Maltese knight, and bade adieu to the rest, and, after advising them to look to their own safety, though nobody knew whither to turn, hastened to their boat, and, making no delay, sailed off merrily in safety, whithersoever they would.

A Hungarian, Balak Dak Istvan, who had been, some years before, a lieutenant in the army at Erlau, being now advanced in age, and sick besides, was unable to climb to the top of the bastions, but remained lying on the spot. When morning dawned, and the summons to devotion was given by the Turkish priests, the Turks saw the rope hanging down from the tower, and quickly raised a shout. They then ran up into the tower, and saw the place through which all the prisoners had crept. The governor, all terrified, went immediately to Constantinople, and made known what had happened. All the gates in Constantinople and Galata were therefore shut, and many thousand people searched for the prisoners on all sides, by land and by water, but found none of them, except the Hungarian who was sitting in the fosse. Three days afterwards the German, Hernstein, was found among the vineyards, he not having been able to get rid of his fetters. When they were both brought before the chief pasha, and had given a true account of their escape, he asked the mufti, or chief priest, what he should do with the prisoners? The mufti immediately bade him not to do them any harm, but to remember that, although a bird in a cage has enough to eat and drink, yet, nevertheless, it seeks a hole through which to make its way out; much more does a prisoner, who suffers hunger, misery, and want, longing for freedom, as a reasonable creature, seek out all manner of means to set himself free; therefore those persons were not guilty, or deserving of any punishment, but their guards deserved to be punished capitally, since they had not done what their duty required, and had thoughtlessly let loose such important prisoners, who might be a cause of great damage to the Turks. The pasha, without delay, commanded all the guards who had had the watch that day, and their chief commanders, to be hung in the fortress, immediately appointed another aga, named Mehemet, and committed the two prisoners to his vigilance, with the advice to take warning from the fate of the previous governor, and, if he did not wish to lose his life as well, to look better to the guards himself.

Three months afterwards the Turks captured two other prisoners, Hungarians, who had also escaped at that time from the Black Tower, viz. Christopher, an innkeeper, and Matthew, a hussar. The own brothers of this hussar,^[5] who was a gallant knight of Hungary, and had defended himself valiantly, killing many of the Turks, had kept both these prisoners in Constantinople, in the house of a Hungarian renegade, who bought them a handsome horse each, and gave them clothes and money to make their way to Hungary. When they rode, like soldiers, out of Galata, they had no knapsacks, and therefore, to their misfortune, dismounted and bought them in a shop. Just then a servant of the aga who had been hung happened to recognize the hussar Matthew, and cried out, “This is the hussar Mathyas, who got out of the Black Tower.” The Turks, hearing this, immediately ran after them by hundreds, and seized them both. They alleged, in their defence, that they were Turkish hussars from Buda, bidding them leave them alone, and saying that they had been to see after their own affairs at court, and even naming the commander under whom they were serving, and appealing to the aga of the janissaries. And when they were brought to him, they spoke so craftily before him, and made out their case so well, that the aga rebuked the Turks, and ordered them to let them go their way.

Both these men had been captured in Hungary in childhood, had been circumcised, and become Turks, and had learnt the Turkish language well. When they grew up they returned to Christendom, forsook the Mahometan error, and, being taken prisoners a second time, were sent to the Black Tower. When they were just going to mount their horses again, a spahi, or cavalry soldier, from the Black Sea, met them, immediately recognized them both perfectly, called them by their names, and demanded that they should be watched by a guard, since he knew them as well as his own eye. They were, therefore, immediately seized, bound, and placed again in the Black Tower, where we afterwards found them, and shared their imprisonment. When we had already been half-a-year at the galleys, the Turks became fearful lest some of us should escape, and conducted us all back again from the galleys to our first prison, where they left us about a week.

Intelligence was again brought that our men had gained a glorious victory over the Turks in Hungary, whence great sorrow and lamentation arose on all sides; and the clerk of the prisoners, Alfonso di Strada, a Spaniard, who had gained his liberty by work and service, came to us early in the morning, and sorrowfully informed us that the Turks were violently enraged with us, and, in short, were on the point of putting us in the Black Tower, but that he did not in any wise wish us such a prison. Upon this we all fervently besought the Lord God that we might be released from that very terrible tower.

After dinner the pasha’s kihaja ordered us to be all called out, and made known to us the will of his pasha, and also bade us take our things and follow him, saying that we were to sail to the Black Tower. As soon as we heard the Black Tower mentioned, and received the unhappy news that we were to be placed in so gloomy a prison, we all with one voice began to weep and lament, till our hearts were breaking. All the other prisoners pitied us too, and wept with us; moreover, we would rather have undergone death than go to so unendurable a prison. Having, therefore, tied up our things in wallets, and each taking his own property on his shoulders, we mournfully bade adieu to the prisoners, but were unable to speak for excessive weeping. All who were in the prison accompanied us with tears and lamentations to the gate.

A sad and sorrowful journey! indeed, the heart could then have broken with sorrow. One prisoner gave us half a loaf of bread as a parting gift, another some sewing needles, another a piece of cotton, and each what he had. When we came to the gate, and thus sorrowfully weeping, thanked the Quardian Pasha of the place for having been kind to us, he too wept over us with compassion, and, intending to console us, said to us: “Now, my dear prisoners, as the prophet Mahomet knows, I do not wish you that grievous prison, whence ye will never come forth till the day of your deaths, and will never meet your friends. I pity you, poor creatures! And yet, if ye be willing to become Turks, ye will be released from all this, and will receive special presents from the pasha. My counsel is that ye do so, for when ye arrive there ye will be forgotten by all who knew you. That prison is called the grave of the living, because the prisoners stay there, as in a grave, and never come out again.”

These words of the pasha caused us still more pain and heartfelt sorrow, and after embracing each other we bade adieu to the prisoners and all the Turks. At parting the Quardian Pasha ordered a loaf of bread with a draught of wine to be given each of us, but we could neither eat nor drink, nay, we could not even speak or see for weeping, knowing that we had no hope of getting out of that tower to the day of our death. Truly, it was a great wonder that none of us died suddenly on the spot, for our hearts were broken with terror. Thus, getting into the boat, not with tears, but with great moaning, we looked sadly towards Constantinople, and seeing the column standing by our former house, gazed sorrowfully at it, reminding each other how we had previously had satisfaction and pleasure, but now were miserable prisoners in perpetual imprisonment. In truth, no man can sufficiently express our great misery and sorrow at that time; and now that I am writing this I cannot defend myself against anguish of heart, and therefore I will rather turn from the subject.

When we drew near the fortress where the Black Tower is, the Turks pointed it out to us, comforting us and bidding us have hope in God, saying that He was mighty and could release us from it, as indeed half-a-year before the prisoners had got out of it; but we could neither speak nor look for weeping and anguish, and it is wonderful where so many tears stow themselves away in the eyes. Had it not been for our souls we would rather have jumped into the sea and drowned ourselves, for excessive terror and panic had seized us, knowing that no hope remained of getting out of the tower. Nay, we knew that the new aga would wish to guard us more securely than the former prisoners had been guarded, as indeed turned out to be the case.

As soon as we ran ashore under the fortress itself a ladder was let down to us, up which, each carrying his wallet on his shoulders, we walked into the fortress after our reis, or captain. On approaching the great iron gates, which were opened to us, we saw a square with a gallery round it reaching to the tower itself, which was entered by an iron door. The captain of our boat handed to Mehemet, the aga, or governor, of the Black Tower, a letter from the chief pasha, on perusing which the aga said with a loud voice:—“What am I to do with these poor prisoners? They have not deserved so severe a prison. Is there no less severe prison to be found for them? It is not just to punish guiltless people thus.” And looking at us, for we were all weeping from the bottom of our hearts, and had our eyes bloodshot from weeping, he said:—“Allah Biuckter, kurtulur Siue!” i. e. “Fear not, God is a mighty liberator.” He then ordered that terrible door to be opened, and bade us go into the tower.

Now let every compassionate heart consider how great was our lamentation, weeping, and wailing, when we had no hope left of coming out again by that door to the day of our death, except as corpses. Alas! greater sorrow than this there is not! Where no hope more remains one does not wish to live. We, therefore, desired to die a sudden death before entering the tower. But all was in vain, for God would have it thus. When we entered that frightful gloomy tower we found in it the above-mentioned four prisoners, who welcomed us sorrowfully, and had no wish for us to be their companions in misery and trouble. Where each seated himself, there he was obliged to sit, to lie, and to have his miserable dwelling for more than two years.

The tower is very lofty, but not very wide, so that two-and-twenty of us and the first four, that is, six-and-twenty persons, could scarcely lie down alongside of each other; and, indeed, could not help touching each other. Inside the tower is a thick oaken lattice, like a cage in which lions are kept, so conveniently constructed that the guards can walk inside round the lattice, within which the prisoners sit, and see what they are doing. In the middle of this cage burns, day and night, a glass lamp, and round are stumps, or blocks, on which we supported our feet. We were, indeed, to have had our feet fastened in these blocks, but, as it pleased God to grant us to find favour in the eyes of the governor, he did not put us into the blocks, except when Turks whom he did not know were to come to the tower, when he sent guards in first with orders to put both our feet into the blocks and fasten us in. On the departure of the Turks he used to order us to be let out again.

This governor had been a Christian child, born in Croatia, and was then more than ninety years old; zealous in his religion, and compassionate towards us, but careful in his duties. He looked to the guards himself, came frequently into the tower, and had the fetters examined every day. Every week the guards examined all our clothes over the whole body, to see whether they could find a knife or file on any one, and, taking warning from the aga who had been hung, he did not allow his diligence to relax in the least. Accordingly, the next morning he ordered us all to be led one after the other out of the tower, and large iron fetters to be clinched on the feet of each, and then bade us return to the tower. The Lord God then raised up for me a good friend among the guards, a Croatian renegade, who advised me to go out of the tower last. When all my comrades had been provided with fetters on their feet, and had returned to the tower, I was conducted before the aga and his councillors, just as I was, in my shirt, and only having a torn upper garment over it. The Croat said to them, “There are no more fetters.” The aga, on hearing this, commanded me to go into the tower without irons; but his councillors would not allow it, explaining to him, that, young as I was, I might, nevertheless, help myself and the rest of my companions out of prison, and that he well knew himself what danger he would afterwards be in. They therefore agreed that I should be fettered, and, as they had no more fetters, they put two iron rings round each of my feet, and riveted them to a chain. Thus I, too, was constrained to drag myself back to the tower after my companions with tears.

When the third day came, and neither bread nor other food was given us, we sent for our aga, and asked what they wanted to do with us. And it being already the third day since we had had anything in our throats, if they wanted to kill us with hunger, we bade them throw us into the sea and drown us, that we might, at any rate, be quit of our misery. When we wept before him, he had such compassion on us that tears fell from his eyes, and he said to us:—“As God lives, and his great prophet Mahomet, I do not wish you so grievous and gloomy a prison; and I cannot wonder sufficiently why they imprison you, and give no orders what is to be done with you further. I do not think that they are going to kill you with hunger, for surely they would not have put you among the other prisoners; but you would have been put into a vault, where they kill the other Turks with hunger. Therefore, I will go immediately to Constantinople, and ascertain, and inform you directly, what is to happen with you further.” All of us then kissed his hand, his clothes, and his feet, recommended ourselves to his care with tears, and waited in great terror for his arrival.

Returning before evening from Constantinople, he comforted us by telling us that they were not going to kill us, and declared that he had obtained orders to the effect that three aspers, or kreutzers, a-day should be given to us to live upon by the pasha, adding also as follows: “Since ye still have to wait long for the payment, for the wages of court officials and soldiers are paid quarterly, and your pensions will be paid then, I must, therefore, provide you with means of support in the interval.” And these he provided as follows. Knowing we could not wait for the money, like a good man, he made himself our surety to the bakers in the town by the Black Tower, arranging that they should give each of us two loaves of bread daily, and he would pay them the money every quarter. He also kept his promise, for at the conclusion of the quarter he paid the bakers, and kept for himself the third kreutzer per diem for his trouble, though certainly he said that they refused to give us more than two aspers, a sum which we were obliged to receive thankfully. And since the salt sea-water could not be drunk, they brought good water from a spring on a hill some hons from the town, and gave us two pitchers of it daily, so that, hot as it was in our prison, we could scarcely quench our thirst, and often quarrelled together for the water, when one drank more of it than another. Therefore, that there might be equality amongst us, we took up the stocking trade, and made partnerships of five or six persons in each—one spinning the cotton, another winding it together, a third knitting, and so forth. When we had earned some money by selling what we had knit (for sometimes they sent us for it meal, oil, bread, vinegar, and even some aspers), we all clubbed together and bought as many mugs as there were persons, and also a large wooden tub, in which we set our mugs, and when the water was brought we filled them one after the other, till we had all had our turn; but when there was any water remaining in the tub each took it for a day in turn, and kept it for himself in a large pitcher.

We bought ourselves, moreover, a large pot, and plastered it with clay, which our guards brought us, and made a kind of oven of it. We also bought coals and a bag with the proceeds of our knitting, and being already in partnership by fives and sixes, and having saved several pitchers of water, each had to boil and act in turn as cook for a week; that is to say, taking a small loaf and two or three pieces of bread, he crumbled them into the water, got up the fire, boiled the porridge, and gave it to his fellow-craftsmen to eat. The stockings and gloves which his partners knitted he had to wash out in warm water, when there happened to be a sufficiency of water, and to wring out the shirts, their owners, meanwhile, sitting naked, and also to wash their heads, and thus was manager for a whole week, and then gave up his office to another. The porridge was extremely nice, especially when at times we procured some olive oil, made it rich for ourselves, and licked our fingers afterwards. Sometimes we had bread in sufficiency, and sometimes we had to wait all day till the very evening; sometimes, when they saw that we had water by us, they brought us no fresh water for a day or two: and thus we lived at their mercy. We had nothing gratis but salt, of which several vaults under ground had been full ever since Sultan Mahomet besieged Constantinople, and provisioned this fortress. Of this salt the aga sent us plenty.

When we had got used to the frightful darkness, and had formed this arrangement together, we obtained some Latin and German books, that is to say, the Bible, poems, and legends; and whenever our guards were changed we concluded that it was day, and all sang a morning hymn, and read a legend, praying to the Lord God for our release, and for the victory of the Christians over the Turks; after which each turned to his work and worked all day. In the evening, when they had examined our fetters, we again sang an evening hymn, and, after performing our devotions, concluded that it was night, and betook ourselves to repose, or read a brief hour by the light of the lamp. It was, indeed, a great comfort that we obtained those books, and read to each other in them.

The Turks certainly laughed at our singing and praying, but they offered us no hindrance therein, and when the time of their own devotions came they observed it also. We poor prisoners, seeing that it could not be helped, comforted each other, and having no other hope, unless it should come to a peace, committed ourselves in all respects to God, and patiently endured darkness, hunger, stench, and filth in abundance; for there was no other place for us to go to for easement except a large gutter, to which we were all obliged to go without exception, and wash away the filth with water. There arose thence a stench so great that sometimes it was an annoyance to the Turkish guards, and they held their noses when they went round watching what we were doing, and reviled us violently. We, however, took no more notice of any stench, for we were already accustomed to it, and only laughed at them. Alas! how memory flew back to our own dear country! What promises we made of how good we would be, if God should help us back to our own nation! How often we wished to be day-labourers with our friends, that we might only be able to earn bread in sufficiency, and have enough to eat! We also remembered our past splendour and superfluities, lamenting and heartily bewailing that we had so lightly valued the gifts of God. Desiring, also, to know whether our parents and friends were still alive, and being acquainted with a prisoner in Galata, who had earned his freedom by work and service, we sent him, by one of our guards, the stockings and gloves, purses and Turkish hats, which we had knitted, as above described, to convert them into money for our use, adding, moreover, secret letters, to be delivered at Prague by way of Venice. In this matter he behaved faithfully, and bought us provisions for the money which he gained, and carefully sent the letters, so that they were delivered at Prague. For instance, about three from me reached the late Herr Adam von Hradetz, chief burggraf of Prague my patron, who was pleased to assist me to go to Turkey. In these letters some of us informed his grace of our imprisonment, and of other Turkish matters of the day, and begged for aid.

Wishing, also, to learn to speak and write Turkish, that I might, some day, be able to serve my country by my knowledge of that language, I began to learn to read Turkish, and through diligent application, in two months, I began almost to talk, and could already read. For a Turkish priest used to come to me in the prison and teach me, and I promised to give him some stockings and gloves for his trouble. My two partners also learnt with me. It was very surprising to the Turk that I comprehended their letters and language in so short a time, and he spread wonderful reports about me everywhere. When our old aga came to know this, he came into the tower, and I had to read to him. He also wondered at my attainments, and promised me that it would be well with me to the day of my death if I would become a Mussulman; for when Cykula Pasha, a born Italian, came to know of me, I should be compelled, nolens volens, to become a Turk. If, then, I wished to remain a Christian, I should leave off my studies. At this I was exceedingly terrified, and my companions, also, gave me similar advice. I satisfied the Turkish priest, and left off learning. May the Lord God recompense the aga for his counsel, for I really should have been taken out of the tower and placed in that pasha’s suite. When we had already been more than four quarters of a year in this Black Tower, with only one shirt and one rug a-piece, the violent frosts and cold wet west-winds tormented us in winter, just as much as the great heat had done in summer, and therefore our aga made us each a coat of cloth, in which we clad ourselves and kept out the cold.

Being all emaciated with hunger, our guards begged for us, from the fishermen, a large fish, just like a round table, and with a long tail, which the Turks call a kedy baluk, or cat-fish. This fish is not eaten, but its fat, for it is very fat, is melted down. Our guards begged this fish, which had been caught in the sea, from the fishermen, and when they gave it us we received it with great gratitude, and asked them to cut it in pieces for us. When they had done as we wished, we were off with several pieces immediately to the pot, boiled some, baked the rest, and breakfasted off it with remarkably good appetites, though afterwards we paid for it bitterly. For we ate this fish’s fat, and drank water after it, till our stomachs and bellies swelled, so that for many weeks we did not rise from our places. I, and some of the rest, feeling sure that it must be some poison, were affected with violent sickness and diarrhœa, which lasted several days, and thence arose a dysentery, which weakened us so much that some of us could not move from the place where we were, but were obliged to lie in our own filth. The Turks laughed at us loudly, having put the fish in our way on purpose. When, after this sickness, dysentery, unbounded stench, and such a foul vapour arose that the guards themselves could not endure it, we informed our aga that we were all seriously ill, and that death awaited us. He came amongst us, and, seeing us in this condition, vehemently reproached the Turks, and threatened to punish them for poisoning us. He also asked our doctor what kind of medicine we ought to use. We begged for some garlic and a draught of brandy, and, clubbing together, induced the aga to allow us to buy a small cask of brandy. Then, eating the garlic and drinking the brandy, we immediately felt benefited, and some of us recovered, but others felt the effects as long as they remained in the prison. Our aga, seeing that we were better, was glad, and strictly forbad anything to be given us without his knowledge; he also had the prison cleaned out, and some weeks afterwards fumigated with laurel-leaves. They, nevertheless, gave us snails and tortoises, which we boiled and ate with a good appetite. Neither did they do us any harm, for we had fortified our stomachs with hunger, and digested everything well, with the exception of that nasty cat-fish.

At that time there was a great plague in Thrace, and in almost all the islands beyond sea, so that in Constantinople itself, and its suburbs, about 80,000 people died in three months. In the town around our tower, which is called Genyhyssar, that is, New Castle, many people, and some of our guards, perished. There was great weeping and lamentation. The Turks, learning that there was a surgeon amongst us, sent and requested him to be let out of the tower. He had medicines prepared for them, and let blood by the middle vein of the arm, for he had still kept a lancet or so. Sometimes from twenty to thirty persons of both sexes came to him, and could not sufficiently wonder that our way of blood-letting caused so little pain; for the Turks pierce the vein with an Italian knife, and make a large hole, which cannot be done without considerable pain. And the surgeon began to be the best off amongst us, for they gave him plenty to eat, and sometimes sent him money, and, above all, he went into the dear open air and light of day, and refreshed himself,—a thing which we poor creatures could not enjoy, but must remain, day and night, in that dark and stinking tower.

When the bad weather changed, Synan Pasha won a victory in Hungary with the Turkish army. The Turks, therefore, fired thrice from all their artillery, both in Constantinople, on board the war-boats, and even on the surrounding islands, and about twenty guns from our tower. This firing surprised us, and, not knowing what it meant, we inquired, and received for answer that the mighty Synan Pasha had taken from the Christians the fortress of Wanek, or Raab, the key of Christendom, the strongest fortress in the land of Hungary, which we were in no wise willing to believe.

After a week came fifteen Turks of rank, distinguished heroes, from Anatolia, on their return back from Hungary, and wished to speak with us. Our aga made haste and ordered us to be fastened to the blocks by both feet, and came to us with them. They asked us whether we knew that Raab was taken? and whether any of us had been there? When we answered that we had, and would not believe that it was lost, but asked how they got possession of it, they replied:—“You dogs, they say, do everything for money; and what a fool your king is to entrust such an impregnable fortress to that little count, who, being led by avarice, sold so important a fortress to Synan Pasha for a sum of money, and evacuated it; whereas we could not have taken it had we lain before it two years without intermission. And thus it is that you Christian dogs build and fortify all your forts for us, for, as soon as we march up to them, we get possession of them either by force or for money.”

After this they told us how much artillery, provisions, and booty of all kinds they found in Raab. We were at last obliged to believe, with sorrow, that Raab was lost. These Turks brought us a basket of bread, divided it amongst us, and encouraged us to trust in God, for He was able to deliver us even out of that grievous prison. They, too, they said, as soldiers, must expect a similar misfortune to that which had befallen us, adding:—“Bwgium sise, jarambise;” “To-day to you, tomorrow to us;” “for,” said they, “it is destined for each what fate he is to meet with.” When they saw us chained in fetters, and, moreover, with our feet in the blocks, they had compassion on us, and spoke to the aga not to treat us so harshly. For, just as with us no sensible people insult the Jews, but the mob, when they meet one, give him a fillip, or a kick, or knock his hat off his head, so also no respectable Turks insult the Christians much, but only the worthless mob, who will not be subject to any order or law.

When Synan Pasha returned from Hungary, and delivered the silver key from the fortress of Raab to his Sultan, Amurath, he was received and welcomed with great and inexpressible glory, so that nothing was talked about for a long time but his valour; and the vulgar Turks imagined that there were no more fortresses in Christendom, but Vienna and Prague. Our guards, too, advised us to turn Turks, if we wished to be released from prison, assuring us that, when spring came, the Sultan himself would go to Hungary, and take Vienna and Prague; and whither should we betake ourselves? But we gave them far different information about Christendom, at which they wondered greatly, and would not believe us, because they were otherwise instructed by their popaslars, or priests.

All that winter the Turks made preparations for a campaign in Hungary, and said that with the spring the Emperor himself would march, which both I, and the priest, John von Winor, my countryman and fellow-prisoner, made known to our friends at Prague, by way of Venice. As soon as spring came news arrived of the victory of the Prince of Transylvania over the Turks and Tartars, and Synan Pasha, having been fortunate with Raab, was proclaimed generalissimo of the army in the field. Fresh soldiers and janissaries were added to the old ones, and Synan promised to bring the land of Transylvania finally under the power of the Sultan; and, in fact, the Turks told us that he was every day expected to march out of the city with a very fine army of 80,000 men. The longer they waited, the more it was noised abroad about Transylvania, and how our people were strengthening themselves on both sides; and Synan Pasha rode most magnificently out of Constantinople, and waited a week before the city till the whole army assembled. Ibrahim Pasha remained as governor of the city in his place.

At that juncture no small alteration took place in Turkey. Some people in Asia thought fit to be insubordinate, but Ibrahim Pasha ordered them to be arrested, and put in prison in our tower above us. He also ordered people to go slyly and put a Georgian lord in prison with us. He was a well-made, tall young fellow. These distinguished Turks were taken, about midnight, from prison down to the sea, and thrown in. And when one was thrown into the sea a cannon was fired on our tower, at which we were greatly terrified, especially as, when each Turk was led away to be drowned, we heard how the poor man lamented and prayed. Thus they dealt with them several nights in succession, till they had drowned them all; and they threatened us that we should be treated in the same way. Almost at the same time several of the principal pashas died suddenly, as well as Sultan Amurath himself. Some said that boils burst out on his thigh, from which he died. His death was concealed until his son, Mehemet, came from Amazya to Constantinople; otherwise, if the soldiers had known of his death, they would have plundered the whole city, Jews and Christians. For it is a custom with them that, when the Sultan dies, the soldiers have licence to plunder the merchants.

When, therefore, Sultan Mehemet arrived incognito, his nineteen brothers were immediately strangled with a cord by mutes, who are always employed for that purpose. One of these brothers begged hard to be only allowed to look his brother in the face, but the poor man was unable to obtain this favour. Two wives of the preceding Sultan, who were pregnant, were also thrown into the sea; and afterwards all who were thus strangled were shown to the Emperor, lying on splendid carpets, when he ordered them to be put into coffing and buried very expensively and magnificently, in the chapel with their father, and a turban, with a handsome plume of cranes’ feathers, to be placed on the head of each. He then took complete possession of his rights, renewed the offices of some, and dismissed others from their posts.

On one occasion Ibrahim Pasha, who had married a daughter of the new Sultan, went on an excursion to a delightful garden which he owned by the Black Sea, beyond our tower. Our old aga obtained intelligence of this, and came amongst us and told us that Ibrahim, who had been well disposed towards our ambassador, was going to his gardens, and, therefore, counselled us, whenever a salute should be fired from the two fortresses, that is, from the cannon on our tower and the castle opposite, to raise our voices and wish the pasba prosperity, and all that was good, promising, also, to intercede for us with him, for which we returned him many thanks. As soon as they began to fire, we shouted with the utmost power of our throats, wishing prosperity to the pasha; and our aga, going in a small boat to the pasha, as he sailed past our fortress, informed him of our great necessity; and Ibrahim asked who and what manner of prisoners we were, and, on hearing that we were servants of the late imperial ambassador, ordered him to bring a couple of us to him in the garden. The aga landed and came to us immediately with joy, and, informing us of the pasha’s order, asked us whom we wished to send him. On hearing this, and having all kissed the hem of his garments, we deputed the priest, John von Winor, and the doctor of medicine, an old man about sixty years of age, who had long grey hair flowing over his shoulders. These our deputies had scarcely any shirts, but lice, insects, and other filth in abundance; and when they issued forth out of such darkness, it was impossible for them to gaze at the brightness of the sun, for, their eyes being disused to the light, tear followed tear, so that they were like blind men. Then our aga—Ibrahim being by birth a Croatian—told the priest, John, how and what to say to him, and bade them both fall at his feet, kiss them, and entreat for our release. As these our deputies could not see, he led them like blind men on board the boat, into which the aga also entered with them, and they sailed to the pasha’s garden. On getting out of the boat they espied Ibrahim leaning on two young men, and walking about in the garden. On seeing them in such miserable plight, just like corpses that had risen from the grave, very pale, emaciated, and nothing but skin and bones, he stood still, and they, being led up to him, fell at his feet, and our aga, indignant at their misery, did not wait for the priest to make his speech to the pasha, but spoke for them himself, saying:—“Lo, here, gracious lord, thou hast these people, who came to us on an embassy, and in silver, in brocade, and in velvet clothing, brought presents of honour to my lord our Emperor, as thou thyself also sawest formerly! Behold, what a change has come to the unfortunates! Are they like living men or dead? Our most holy Alcoran doth not teach us thus to torture guiltless ambassadors. It is now approaching the third year since they have been in this unendurable prison, in irons and fetters, in darkness, with bread and water scantily supplied for nourishment. Have compassion on them for the recompence of the prophet Mahomet! Nay, we shall never enjoy any prosperity so long as we torture and torment with imprisonment these guiltless persons. Look on these unfortunates! See! they are nothing but shadows, and these are stronger than any of the rest.”

Ibrahim replied:—“Dear aga, thou knowest that I am not grand vizier, but am only his lieutenant for the time. Since the mighty Synan Pasha commanded them to be put in prison, God forbid that I should undertake anything counter to him! But when he returns in health, I will make sufficient intercession to him, that they may be quit of so grievous an imprisonment; and, if I were grand vizier myself, I would set them free immediately without deliberation.” Then, taking eight ducats out of a bag, he gave them to our two deputies, to be divided amongst us. Our deputies thanked him for his present and condescension, and departed. Our aga then ordered the ducats to be changed and divided amongst us, whence forty kreutzers, or aspers, fell to the share of each. Then, for the first time, we feasted, and bought ourselves as much bread, meal for porridge, oil, meat baked in the sun, and other provisions as we wanted, thanking the Lord God and the pasha for such a benefaction.

Our aga thenceforth comforted us, saying that, when once Synan came from Transylvania, we should have a good friend in Ibrahim, and that he would release us from this grievous prison. On one occasion he asked us, if it pleased God to help us out of prison, what would we give him in return, for we knew that he was our good friend, and he promised to be so still more? We alleged in excuse our pennilessness and poverty, and when we promised him that, as we had no money, we would give him everything that we had, and what we knitted besides, he laughed at us, admitted that he did not want our rags, but wished to know whether, in order that he might look the better after our affairs with the pasha, we were willing to secure him 500 ducats in the hands of the Christian merchants, and give them to him for his trouble if he should help us out of prison? Longing for freedom, we promised to give him 200 ducats, imagining that we could easily provide such a sum as that among the merchants; and thus our aga journeyed so much the oftener to Constantinople, and spoke of us in Ibrahim’s presence.

On one occasion Ibrahim invited the Sultan to his gardens, on learning which our aga came to us, shouting:—“Good news, Christians! good news! The most mighty Sultan makes an excursion to-morrow to Ibrahim’s gardens. Therefore, when a cannon is fired on the tower, shout with all the voice you have, and wish the Emperor prosperity and victory over his enemies.” We heard this with great joy, kissed his hands and clothes, and thanked him for the advice. In the morning the Sultan issued magnificently from his palace, with the firing of heavy artillery, with shouting, and wishing of prosperity, on the part of all the people who stood in orderon the shore, with their heads bent down to their knees, but stopped on meeting his monks, or hermits, who lived a mile^[6] from Constantinople, and deliberated with them about all manner of things for two hours. These monks, as we afterwards heard, counselled him, since much Mussulman blood had been shed in Hungary, to appease the prophet Mahomet by almsgiving, and, if he had any prisoners who were innocent, or had earned their freedom by work and service, to release and set them at liberty. After this advice he took leave of them, and sailed along the shore past the tower in which we were, in a boat gilded all over, as our guards told us. The Turks fired heavy artillery in honour of him, and our aga, with everybody from the town welcomed him, with their hands crossed and with great humility, and bending their heads to the ground, shouted with a loud voice:—“God preserve thee and thy Majesty in health for ever!”

As soon as they ceased firing, we all called out and shouted with a loud voice, wishing him prosperity, our guards also assisting us in so doing. The Emperor heard the noise, but could not understand anything. When the Emperor sailed gently on, and the shouting increased more and more the farther he went, he asked what the noise was, and whence it came. Then the Lord God raised up a friend for us, Bostangi Pasha, the grand superintendent of the gardens, who stood behind the Emperor, and commanded the guard in the stern of the boat, and he said to the Emperor:—“This voice, most gracious Emperor, is that of poor prisoners, who have now been long in yon tower, and see not the light of the sun; they are calling and begging for mercy.” The Emperor stopped, and asked what manner of prisoners they were? Information was given him that they were the servants of the ambassador of the Viennese king, who had been sent to his father, Sultan Amurath, with the annual gift and handsome presents, and that their lord had been a traitor, and had written down all manner of intelligence for his king; also that Synan Pasha had commanded him to be put to death in prison, and his suite to be placed in that tower, and that, though guiltless, they had already been three years imprisoned in irons.

Upon this the Emperor said:—“Since they are guiltless prisoners, and have never drawn the sword against us, it is not a proper thing to aflict them by imprisonment; therefore. I command that they be released.” He then went on his way. Then the kind Turks and guards who heard this ran tumbling over each other to us, hoping to receive presents for telling us some very good news. And when we promised them, they informed us that their Emperor had given orders to set us at liberty. Then, being filled with boundless joy, we distributed to them everything that we had, rugs, clothes, and spirits, and kissed and embraced each other, not imagining but that we should be set free in the morning. But we were shamefully deceived. For there in heathendom, just as with us Christians, when the Emperor makes any promise to any one, if that person has not a good friend at court, and if he makes no presents, his just matter is often left in the lurch. Thus it happened to us poor wretches. For having given away everything that we possessed, we had afterwards to suffer hunger and all manner of want; and whereas we might have lain on the rugs, we were obliged to be satisfied with the bare ground.

At this time a German, a goldsmith in Galata, who had assisted Herr von Hofkirch and many other prisoners in getting out of prison, had it proved against him, and was put in gaol, and tortured, and before daybreak the poor fellow was thrown on a hook. When the Turks searched his house, they found copies of intelligence which he had been in the habit of sending by letter to Christendom, and immediately put many Christian merchants in prison on mere suspicion; but let them out again, when the unfortunate man made no confession to implicate them. The Emperor’s mother was very fond of this goldsmith, for he was a very good craftsman, and used to do all that she wanted. As soon as she heard that he was arrested, she immediately ordered him to be released; but before the order arrived the poor man had been hung upon the hook. It was a pity. He was a very good man, and assisted many Christian prisoners to freedom. May it please the Lord God that his soul may come into the number of the elect!

News now arrived that Synan Pasha was returning to Constantinople with a small number of soldiers, and on this account there was great clamour, weeping, and wailing. Moreover, some of the pashas, who envied Synan his prosperity, were glad, and brought him into disfavour with the Emperor, so that the Emperor made him mazul, and forbad him to ride to court under penalty of death. For “having,” as it was said, “purposely lost so many distinguished youths, he was not worthy to receive honour and thanks, but deserved rather to be strangled.” He was, therefore, commanded not to come into the Emperor’s sight, but to remain on his own estate, and not to quit it without the Emperor’s leave. Thus he was in great disfavour, so that the Turks began to say that he would eventually be strangled-a fate which we heartily wished him. Synan, being an old, cunning, and experienced fox, took an insult like this very much to heart, and by a written petition entreated to be allowed to prove his innocence, and be heard as well as his adversaries; but the chief pashas conspired against him, and would not allow his petition to come before the Sultan.

Understanding this, he obtained his wish by great presents. That is to say, he sent fifty mules’ burthen of gold, silver, precious stones, carpets, and other valuable things, which were appraised altogether at 100,000 ducats, to the Emperor’s wife and mother, and ordered them to be told that he had brought all this for them from Hungary. Through this cunning, and the value of his gifts, he was admitted to the Emperor’s presence before he expected. He kissed his hand, wished him good fortune and prosperity in a long reign, and then, as the Turks said, made a speech to the Emperor to the following effect:—“Mighty Emperor! my heart pains me in my old and already decayed body that I am so monstrously calumniated before thee, and brought into disgrace, because this year fortune has to some extent been adverse to me, and I have lost some soldiers in battle, whereas it is impossible that fortune should remain constantly on one side. I greatly pity thy youth, because thou hast not upright counsellors, and because as soon as any man gives thee intelligence thou believest him, whereas one ought first to inquire sufficiently, whether it be so. I served thy great grandfather, grandsire, and father, even to these grey hairs; I have aided thy house to conquer many kingdoms and countries; I have shed much of my blood for the extension of thy dominions. I conquered Tunis, Golleta, Famagusta, and last year the fortress of Wanek, or Raab, the key of all Christendom, so that, if thou desirest, thou hast an easy access to Vienna, and to all the empire, whereas, neither thy grandsire, nor thy father, ever took so famous a fortress. And now, whereas thou oughtest to give me thanks for this, since I have accomplished more than all the pashas, I have, on the contrary, been brought into disgrace with thee, and it has been forbidden me to gaze at thy Majesty and serve at court. Although, being experienced as well in home as in foreign affairs, having spent my youthful years in the service of the Emperors, thy predecessors, and being now more than ninety years old, I have it in my power to be much more valuable to thee in council, and to serve thee better, than all the present pashas, who are new and young. It was not thus that thy predecessors did; they did not drive old councillors and experienced soldiers from court, and regulate themselves by the advice of young know-nothings.” After having said this, he began to relate the great irregularities of some of the pashas, and thereby brought his matter so far that he was again received into favour, and certain pashas dismissed from their posts. Ferhat Pasha was strangled the next day, and out of his property the Emperor ordered more than a million and ahalf to be taken for his treasury. Synan was made vizier, or chief over the pashas, in his place.

After this our allowance of two aspers each was not paid for a whole quarter, and our aga went to court and mentioned us to the vizier, who answered angrily that he would have us flayed alive, and our skins made into drums. This was told us sorrowfully by the aga, who bade us entreat God that the vizier’s anger might be appeased. Then both our men and the Transylvanians took some fortresses from the Turks, and blew a good many. When this news was brought to Constantinople, the Turks immediately prepared for war, and Synan was proclaimed grand serdar, or commander-in-chief.

And since he had been very unfortunate in the preceding year, he used every exertion to prevail upon the Sultan to march into Hungary in person. He also induced the soldiers, especially the spahis and janissaries, to make themselves heard, and declare that, since they had had no luck against the giaours under any pasha, they would not march to war without the presence of the Sultan; but, if he would go with them, every man, who had but the strength to do so, would march without opposition and with a good will. And not only did they make themselves heard orally to this effect; but when the Sultan went to church they presented him written petitions, requesting him to go to Hungary against the Christians, and follow in the footsteps of his predecessors. But the Empress set herself in opposition to this, relying upon the Alcoran, which ordains that no new sultan, when he ascends the imperial throne, shall be obliged to go to war for the space of three years. She, therefore, bade Synan and the soldiers to be content, counselling rather that Synan, and other old experienced commanders, should march into Hungary. It was their duty, she said, to protect their lord and his land; indeed, what good would their office be if they could not slay the giaours without the Sultan’s presence? In that case, did they deserve the dignity with which they were for that purpose invested by the Sultan? When, through the urgency of Synan, the then vizier, and the soldiers, the Emperor was inclined to go to Hungary, the vizier immediately had all manner of military engines prepared, everything requisite for an imperial campaign got ready, and the soldiers mustered. But, through the great exertions he made for these purposes, a dysentery suddenly attacked him so violently that he was constrained to keep his bed. It was said that the Sultana corrupted Synan the vizier’s physician by bribes and splendid presents, so that he had something administered to him, and died in eight days. Great lamentation was made by the people for his death; they wore mourning for him, gave alms for the benefit of his soul, buried him with great magnificence and veneration; composed mournful songs about his heroic deeds, and sang that the light of valour and heroism was extinguished. Indeed, he was truly a man of remarkable experience, and no one in Turkey, at that time, could compare with him.

Our old aga came amongst us and informed us of his death, with tears streaming from his eyes, and said: “It is news good for you, but mournful for us, that the most experienced soldier and pillar of the Turkish dominions, Synan Pasha, is dead, who served our imperial house faithfully, and often troubled the giaours, and before whom no fortress could stand, which he did but undertake to capture. ’Tis a pity, ’tis a pity, that that experienced man is gone! But now that it has pleased God, and the prophet Mahomet, that it should be so, may his soul shine as the sun! Neither I, nor my children, expect to see such a man again. Therefore, I advise and expect you to pray to God that Ibrahim Pasha, who sent you the alms, may be chosen grand vizier in his room.”

More than a fortnight passed while intrigues for that office were going on, till, at last, Ibrahim Pasha was chosen. At that time we were all heartily weary in the tower, for we had been fettered in irons for three years without intermission. Indeed, we often prayed with tears, and besought God for release, especially when very cold and disagreeable north-winds blew, till many of us fell sick; on some of us the skin sloughed from filth; others broke out into eruptions, and so great a stench came from them, that not only was it offensive to us, but even our guards were annoyed by such a smell. They, therefore, brought us laurel-leaves, which we put on the coals, like juniper, and fumigated with them, for they grow them in abundance. And, in sooth, we longed to die, being utterly enfeebled by hunger, and tortured by that intolerable darkness and stench, for we had no other hope of getting out of it, unless peace were made between our Emperor and the Sultan. Rightly is that Black Tower called “the grave of the living,” for all our friends and enemies alike forgot us, giving us no assistance in any wise. Yet many hundred ducats had been sent, through a bill-of-exchange, both to me, to the late Zahradetzky, and to the priest John von Winor; but firstly, on account of the length and danger of the journey, and secondly, on account of the strictness and cruelty of our imprisonment, they could not be delivered to us. For, out of four thousand two hundred ducats, I only got one hundred and fifty, and these I was obliged to give away, mention of which will be made below. But verily the Holy Scripture is true, that, when all human aid fails, God Himself succoureth with His assistance.

 

 

1. I can find no explanation of this, which is evidently a proverbial expression. The German translator seems to have found it as difficult as myself, and has simply omitted it.
2. The German translator here introduces a violent attack upon the celibacy of the clergy, and puts half a page of most pathetic rhetoric into the mouth of the author.
3. My landlord at Cracow, in 1850, Pan Zieromski, who was taken prisoner by the Russians at the passage of the Beresina under Ney, received 800 blows for refusing to take the Russian military oath in the Caucasus, and survived, though for a year he never heard the sound of his own voice.
4. How this reminds one of the prodigal son, who longed “to fill his belly with the husks that the swine did eat!”
5. It would seem that these brothers were renegades (?).
6. A Latin mile is nearly equal to an English mile. A German mile is rather more than four English miles.